COMPACT AND ECONOMICAL SOLUTION FOR VERIFYING TOOL INTEGRITY

Marposs will show at WESTEC 2012 in booth #1944 its Mida TBD non-contact tool breakage detector unit for fast and reliable verification of tool presence or breakage inside the machine tool. Operating under machining conditions including coolant usage, the TBD unit helps to reduce scrap while facilitating unmanned machining operations.  

The Mida TBD unit works by laser beam triangulation; the laser beam is projected onto the tool surface, normally at tool breakage tolerance, and the light reflected is captured by a highly sensitive receiver. Tool verification cycles are highly reliable with the TBD unit even in the presence of coolant due to an innovative algorithm supported by dedicated electronics that accurately analyze the reflected light signal created by a rotating tool.
The Mida TBD unit works with tools rotating at speeds from 200 to 5,000 rpm. Depending upon the tool’s distance from the TBD unit and its reflective quality, tools as small as 0.2mm (0.0079 in.) diameter can be detected. The TBD unit can recognize a wide range of solid center tools including drills, slot drills, taps, end mills and ballnose end mills with different surface treatments or color. Tools may be positioned at a distance of between 0.3m (11.81 in.) to 2.0m (78.74 in.) from the TBD unit, making the system suitable for a wide range of machine applications. Several user selectable parameters that are easily programmable from the exterior of the unit can be used to adapt the TBD system for the fastest and most reliable tool checks depending upon the machining conditions. The system’s typical response time is less than 1 second in normal conditions.

All functionality is contained within the TBD unit’s compact housing, which can be mounted outside of the machine’s working area, saving space on the table. The TBD unit’s small dimensional size requires minimal space for installation and permits fast and easy set up. The electronic interface, which is integrated within the TBD unit, requires only minimal wiring to the machine. Set up of the TBD unit normally requires only adjusting focus distance to minimize the laser beam dimension and to permit detecting the minimum tool diameter at the maximum working distance.

Use of the Mida TBD system on all types of machines including drill-tap machines, mills, HMC’s, VMC’s and other machines where tool condition has to be verified can help to minimize production time and avoid the cost of scrapping or reworking of parts due to damaged or broken tools.